Sword Shatters Blood Pool, Demon Lord Shocked
In the center of Flowing Cloud City's square stood a massive teleportation array, slowly humming to life. Countless arcane silver runes formed its foundation, emitting a low buzz as spatial energy rippled endlessly within.
At the platform's edge, seven attendants in star-patterned dao robes stood solemnly, maintaining the array's operation and order.
When Su Rui and Mu Xueyi, along with Li Wuhen and his entourage, stepped onto the platform, the lead attendant stepped forward and intoned formally: "Teleportation to the demonic path borderlands. Three mid-grade spirit stones per person."
Before Su Rui or Mu Xueyi could react, Li Wuhen strode forward boldly, flicking his sleeve with lavish flair. A pouch brimming with spirit stones landed precisely in the attendant's hand. "Settle all four of our fees together."
His voice boomed with unquestionable generosity, his sidelong glance lingering on the ethereally beautiful Mu Xueyi beside him, his heart burning hotter.
The attendant swept his divine sense over it, confirmed the count, and stepped aside. "Spirit stones verified. Please enter the array."
Only then did Li Wuhen turn back with composed elegance, gesturing invitingly to Su Rui and Mu Xueyi.
Su Rui's face showed just the right mix of "gratitude" and "awkwardness." He cupped his hands. "This... Young Master Li, you've spent too much on our account. I feel bad about it."
"No need to stand on ceremony, Brother Su. Mere spirit stones—what's there to fuss over?"
Li Wuhen waved it off grandly, though inwardly he sneered. Truly just some backwater scatter cultivator with no worldly knowledge. Twelve mid-grade spirit stones, and he's already groveling like this. Hmph! He still dreams of joining Blood Fiend Sect through my introduction, oblivious that his heart-stealing dao companion is already this young master's prize!
At that moment, the array's patterns erupted in blinding silver light, swallowing the four figures whole and whisking them away in an instant.
Potent spatial forces enveloped their bodies. After a brief sensation of weightlessness and tugging, their feet touched solid ground once more—but the scenery had utterly changed.
The sky hung in oppressive dull yellow, the air thick with faint sulfur and blood mingled together. This was the edge of the demonic path territories.
"Brother Su, Fairy Yi Xue, follow me. Blood Fiend Sect isn't far from here."
Li Wuhen summoned his escape light, seemingly considerately leading the way—though he deliberately veered toward a more desolate rift valley region.
As they delved deeper, the terrain grew increasingly savage.
Blood-red rock walls pocked with honeycomb caves, weathered stone pillars like jagged white bones, dark purple moss glowing faintly phosphorescent in the shadows.
When the four reached a particularly narrow rift, Su Rui abruptly halted his escape light, his voice echoing off the walls: "Young Master Li, looks like you weren't planning to wait until Blood Fiend Sect to make your move."
Li Wuhen's figure faltered. He turned slowly, a flicker of surprise and amusement on his face. "Oh? So you're not a complete idiot!"
He'd assumed Su Rui, blinded by greed for Blood Fiend Sect entry, was a naive fool—every chat along the way confirming the boy's ignorance. This sudden revelation caught him off guard.
His False Core entourage member grinned ferociously and stepped up. "Not an idiot, but a total moron! You knew our intentions and still followed us here? Even if you kick up a huge racket, no one's coming to save you!"
Li Wuhen dropped all pretense, his eyes gleaming with lechery. "Break his limbs, cripple his cultivation! This young master wants to play with his dao companion right in front of him—let him taste true despair!"
"As ordered!"
The entourage member roared, his False Core aura exploding outward, demonic qi surging. "Kid, don't dream of running! Even if we're both False Core, our techniques are worlds apart!"
Su Rui nodded seriously. "Indeed, worlds apart."
Before the words faded, a spirit sword wreathed in black flame shot from his storage pouch!
The man didn't even register what happened—a chill pierced his chest as black light flashed through his body.
The next instant, black flames erupted from within, charring his organs to ash in a heartbeat. The fire spread like a living beast, consuming him entirely.
In mere moments, flesh and bone alike vanished to nothingness—no ash, no trace, utterly erased from existence.
Li Wuhen shuddered violently, pupils contracting!
His early Core Formation divine sense couldn't even track the sword's path!
"Not good!"
Intense peril flooded his mind. No time to ponder the eerie black flames or mourn his dead lackey—survival instinct overrode all!
He hastily activated his escape art, burning yin fiend demonic essence madly as his escape light blazed brighter.
His move was swift—but someone was swifter!
A chill sword tip silently pressed against his Adam's apple, razor-sharp sword qi pricking his skin painfully, stalling his spiritual power.
"Don't move, if you don't want a hole in your throat."
The voice was clear and melodious, like heavenly music—yet to Li Wuhen, it cut colder than nether winds.
He stiffly rolled his eyes to see Mu Xueyi's icy peach-blossom gaze beneath her veil.
Terror seized his heart. His voice trembled. "You... what cultivation levels are you hiding? Sneaking into demonic lands with concealed strength—what's your game?"
Mu Xueyi didn't answer. The sword tip edged forward, a trickle of blood sliding down his neck. "Answer me. Do you know of Blood Fiend Sect's Millennium Blood Jade?"
Feeling the lethal threat, Li Wuhen quavered: "Millennium Blood Jade? You... you want Blood Fiend Sect's supreme treasure?"
Mu Xueyi's eyes chilled, her tone brooking no refusal: "You know it? Good. Take us to Blood Fiend Sect."
With icy steel at his throat, Li Wuhen forced a hoarse sneer through clenched teeth: "Fairy Yi Xue, us demonic path folk act without restraint—but we're not hypocritical like you righteous lot. We don't betray our own!"
Mu Xueyi scanned his resolute expression—it seemed genuine. Her peach-blossom eyes shifted to Su Rui. "He won't cooperate. Plant a restriction on him."
Su Rui tsked lazily. "You sure know how to push laozi into the dirty work. Fine..."
He drawled the end, teasing: "Who told you to be my wife, after all?"
Li Wuhen gritted his teeth in cold laughter, clinging to his last shred of pride: "Useless! Even if you make me beg for life or death, I won't lead you to Blood Fiend Sect!"
"Got spine. A real man."
Su Rui's tone held a hint of approval, then turned to icy mockery: "Too bad, spine alone won't cut it for some things."
With that, his hand shot out like talons, clamping Li Wuhen's crown!
Irresistible terror suction assailed Li Wuhen—his sea of consciousness quaked, soul on the verge of ripping free!
Circulating the Heavenly Extreme Demonic Flame Art, Su Rui's tyrannical divine sense invaded forcibly, brutally peeling half his nascent soul and imprisoning it in his palm!
"Aaaah—!"
Li Wuhen wailed in agony, drenched in cold sweat, eyes filled with ultimate dread: "Impossible... how can you ignore my will and seize my nascent soul by force?!"
Such a method—unheard of!
Even the most vicious, domineering arts he knew couldn't so barbarically breach a cultivator's core nascent soul sanctum!
Su Rui ignored his shock, glancing down at the soul-light in his palm. "You got no right to question laozi right now. Lead the way."
Li Wuhen tried resisting, but tearing pain wracked his nascent soul—his body moved on its own, escape light surging toward Blood Fiend Sect.
His will persisted, yet he lost bodily control. The bizarre sensation drove him near madness.
"Let's go, wife."
Su Rui grinned at Mu Xueyi. She didn't spare him a glance, her escape light already following.
Su Rui shrugged indifferently and trailed unhurriedly.
Mid-flight, Mu Xueyi spoke abruptly, voice still cold but probing: "Su Rui, with such methods, why didn't you use them on me back then?"
Su Rui glanced sideways, smile wicked: "Where's the fun in that? I want you submitting willingly—not some forced puppet trick."
"You'll regret it."
"Oh?"
Su Rui arched a brow, leaning closer with ambiguous threat: "Poking laozi like that—you're not scared I'll change my mind and rip your nascent soul right now?"
Mu Xueyi stared ahead, tone flat: "If your demonic art can seize a nascent soul tempered by Sword Heart Unity, go ahead and try."
Su Rui didn't rage—instead, he burst laughing. "Hahaha! Good one! Wife, you're sharp as ice—knowing I can't take yours, so you dare prod me."
Mu Xueyi ignored him, eyeing the puppet-like Li Wuhen ahead. "Where exactly is the Millennium Blood Jade in Blood Fiend Sect?"
Li Wuhen clamped his mouth shut, resisting with silence.
Su Rui didn't even lift a finger—mere intent, and he barked: "Answer my wife's question!"
"Urgh—!"
Agony tore his nascent soul again; his mouth opened involuntarily. "I... I don't know the exact spot! But... I'm sworn brothers with Blood Fiend Sect's young master Xue Yunzi—I can take you to him!"
Su Rui nodded approvingly. "Then straight to him."
Li Wuhen's face twisted, but he submitted: "Yes..."
The trio's lights sped across myriad li of barren demonic wastes, arriving at a mountain range shrouded in dark crimson fiend qi—Blood Fiend Sect's gates loomed within.
Gate disciples recognized Yin Fiend Sect's young master Li Wuhen and waved them through without question.
Li Wuhen led straight to a lavish blood-red palace midway up the mountain—Xue Yunzi's residence.
Like a walking corpse, Li Wuhen was horrified as his body activated voice transmission unbidden: "Brother Xue Yun, your little brother’s at the door—come greet me quick!"
The voice rang hearty and familiar, clashing horrifically with his near-breakdown eyes.
The hall doors swung open unattended. A youth in scarlet blood robes stepped out.
His face ruddy, blood qi swirling—he was Blood Fiend Sect's young master, Xue Yunzi.
Spotting Li Wuhen, he smiled. "Wuhen, what brings you suddenly? And these two?"
His gaze swept Mu Xueyi, flashing with stunning admiration and greed.
Veil or no, her aloof poise swayed his soul. What face hides beneath?
Mu Xueyi's divine sense spread like icy threads, probing the entire palace in an instant. Her eyes flashed cold. "No one else but him. Strike now."
Su Rui rubbed his nose, face reluctant. "Hey, you're really bossing laozi around now?"
Mu Xueyi glanced at him icily. "Then stop calling me wife. It disgusts me."
Since the scoundrel insisted, calling nonstop, she'd use it to make him work if she couldn't stop him.
Su Rui flipped on a grin. "Wife, don't be coy—husband's on it."
Their banter drained Xue Yunzi's face of color. He'd secretly circulated Blood Fiend Sect arts, barking: "What are you on about? Wuhen, what's going on?!"
Before he finished, Su Rui vanished ghost-like, reappearing before him!
Xue Yunzi's vision blackened—a massive hand clamped his face, crushing his surging blood qi. A seal slammed into his dantian, locking all power.
Then tyrannical divine sense stabbed his sea of consciousness like a blade—soul-searching and refining!
"Mmph...!"
Xue Yunzi's eyes bulged, body convulsing as memories were ripped away.
In breaths, Su Rui released him.
Xue Yunzi's eyes dulled utterly. He crumpled lifeless—a hollow shell.
Beside him, Li Wuhen chilled to the bone, trembling uncontrollably.
Xue Yunzi, Blood Fiend Sect young master, mid Core Formation—powerless as a babe before this Su Rui!
What origins did these two have? So ruthless, fearless of igniting Blood Fiend Sect's fury?
Mu Xueyi indifferently eyed the corpse, unmoved.
Su Rui processed the soul-searched info. "Millennium Blood Jade's with Blood Fiend Sect's ancestor, Blood Nether Demon Lord. That old ghost's secluded in his cave abode, breaking through a bottleneck."
"His cultivation?" Mu Xueyi's gaze was cool and curt.
"Just peak mid Nascent Soul." Su Rui replied casually, as if it were ordinary.
"Cave abode where?"
"This mountain's highest peak."
Su Rui nodded at the mist-shrouded, fiend-qi densest crag. "Old ghost picks good spots."
Mu Xueyi flicked her wrist—Minglan appeared. Her cold peach-blossom eyes turned to shuddering Li Wuhen.
He was useless now.
Instantly, clear sword cry rang—a frigid beam lanced out.
Li Wuhen's pupils shrank; shock and resentment froze on his face. No chance for a dying wail—his heart meridians shattered, body collapsing.
Minglan vanished. Mu Xueyi said flatly: "Let's go."
Su Rui tsked twice, saying nothing more. He led with escape light; Mu Xueyi followed.
Without Li Wuhen, they cloaked their auras, blending into surroundings. They shuttled through Blood Fiend Sect unnoticed, straight to the peak and Blood Nether Demon Lord's cave.
En route, Su Rui teased: "Didn't expect wife to strike so ruthlessly. Eye-opening today."
Mu Xueyi stared ahead. "Do you know what Yin Fiend Sect and Blood Fiend Sect cultivate with?"
Su Rui played along. "Do tell."
Mu Xueyi spoke slowly, voice laced with bone-chilling frost: "Yin Fiend Sect extracts living souls, torments them with secret arts to refine vengeful baleful qi into power. Those targeted scatter soul and spirit, never reincarnating."
"Blood Fiend Sect's crueler—they hunt cultivators and mortals alike, ripping out every drop of essence blood alive with evil arts to condense blood fiend power. They cultivate using dozens or hundreds of living 'blood materials' as fodder."
"That Xue Yunzi you saw—his robe's dark red from constant blood-soaking! Their path is built on piled bones, soaked in endless gore. Such a sect, top to bottom demons—death's too kind!"
Su Rui feigned realization, casually adding: "Got it. By the way, laozi's demonic art refines heaven-earth demonic essence with inner evil thoughts—totally different from those trash blood-and-soul sucking methods."
Mu Xueyi glanced sideways in surprise.
This foul-mouthed, reckless lecher actually cared if she mistook him for practicing such brutality.
She sensed no nauseating blood or vengeful baleful qi on him.
Blood-soul cultivation's karma and gore couldn't be hidden.
Each nursing thoughts, they reached the isolated peak of Blood Nether Demon Lord's cave per the soul-search.
A towering blood-red cave abode loomed, its entrance veiled in solid dark-red light screen. Blood runes writhed like living things, pulsing heart-palpitating spiritual waves and foul aura.
Ripples occasionally surfaced on the screen—distorted agonized faces flashing by.
Undoubtedly, Blood Nether Demon Lord's mighty restriction forged from countless lives' blood.
Mu Xueyi's gaze signaled Su Rui silently.
Su Rui's lips curved confidently, tone casual: "Piece of cake. Stick close—laozi'll get you in."
His fingertip coiled subtle black demonic qi, tapping the blood screen lightly.
The runes froze, then parted like water—silently cracking a slit for one.
No ripple, no stir—as if the unbreakable barrier yielded obediently.
Mu Xueyi watched, a stab of pain in her heart.
This was how the lecher had infiltrated her cave abode that first violation.
"What? Stirring up bad memories?"
Su Rui's sharp senses caught the frost veiling her peach-blossom eyes.
Mu Xueyi snapped back, gaze slashing like blades. "Yes. I want to carve you a thousand cuts, shatter your corpse to dust!"
Su Rui shrugged off her killing intent, chuckling mockingly: "But with bigger fish to fry, you gotta hold it in, right?"
He leaned half a step closer, voice low with warning: "Keep those emotions in check, wife. Laozi doesn't want a cold blade in the back at a crucial moment—from my own people."
Mu Xueyi snorted coldly, suppressing surging hate, tone piercing: "Rest assured—at least until we uncover Li Chengxuan's true killer, I won't strike you."
With that, she strode first into the blood-misted cave—as if one more second would be unbearable.
Su Rui eyed her resolute back indifferently, scratched his nose, then sauntered in after, vanishing into the crimson dark.
Within lay a scene like asura hell.
Mountainous white bones, blood stench thick enough to solidify, dark red blood mist roiling the air.
The blood qi funneled like rivers to sea toward the cave's central massive blood pool.
In the pool sat a skeletal elder in dark red robes, eyes closed in lotus position. His pores gaped like abysses, devouring the influx—he was Blood Fiend Sect's ancestor, Blood Nether Demon Lord!
His aura teetered at peak mid Nascent Soul, brewing the final breakthrough push.
Mu Xueyi swept the horrors—especially righteous sect badges she vaguely recognized on some bones. Uncontainable fury surged!
How many righteous cultivators had fallen to this old demon, dragged here as blood fodder?
Her face frosted over. Minglan manifested, streaking at max speed to pierce Blood Nether Demon Lord's brow!
This wrathful strike was lightning-fast, seizing the demon's immersion in cultivation—external vigilance at its lowest.
By rights, Mu Xueyi's sword couldn't miss.
Yet, the instant the frigid tip neared his brow, the old demon's eyes snapped open!